qìwèi: 气味 - Odor, Scent, Smell

• Keywords: qiwei, qìwèi, 气味, smell in Chinese, odor in Chinese, scent in Chinese, Chinese word for smell, fragrance, aroma, what does qiwei mean, 味道 vs 气味
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 气味 (qìwèi), the most common and neutral term for “smell,” “odor,” or “scent.” This guide explores its meaning, character origins, and cultural significance, including its use in popular idioms. Discover how to use 气味 (qìwèi) in practical daily conversations, from describing the pleasant aroma of food to the foul odor of garbage, and understand the crucial difference between it and the similar word 味道 (wèidao).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qìwèi
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: The smell, odor, or scent of something.
• In a Nutshell: 气味 (qìwèi) is the go-to, neutral word for anything you can perceive with your nose. It's the direct equivalent of the English noun “smell.” Whether you're talking about the fragrance of flowers, the aroma of coffee, or the stink of trash, 气味 is the base word you start with. You then add adjectives to specify whether the smell is good or bad.

• 气 (qì): This character originally depicted vapor or steam rising from cooking rice. Its core meaning is “air,” “gas,” or “vapor.” It's the same 气 found in words like 天气 (tiānqì, weather) and 气功 (qìgōng, a system of coordinated body posture and movement).
• 味 (wèi): This character means “taste” or “flavor.” It is composed of the “mouth” radical 口 (kǒu) on the left and 未 (wèi), which provides the sound.
• Together, 气味 (qìwèi) literally translates to “air-taste” or “the flavor in the air.” This is a beautifully logical construction, as a smell is essentially how we “taste” things that are floating in the air through our sense of smell.

While 气味 is a straightforward vocabulary word, its usage can reveal subtle cultural perspectives. In Chinese culture, sensory experiences, including smells, are often described with vivid, earthy, and direct language. The most significant cultural use of 气味 is in the popular idiom 气味相投 (qìwèi xiāngtóu).

• Literal meaning: “The smells match one another.”
• Figurative meaning: “To be kindred spirits” or “to get along well due to similar interests, dispositions, or tastes.”

This idiom uses the physical sense of smell as a metaphor for an invisible, intuitive connection between people. If two people's “scents” match, it means their fundamental characters and preferences align. This contrasts with Western idioms like “birds of a feather flock together” or “on the same wavelength,” which are less sensory. The Chinese expression implies a more primal, instinctual compatibility, as if you can “smell” that someone is your kind of person.

气味 is a high-frequency word used in countless everyday situations. Its connotation is entirely neutral and depends on the context and the adjectives used alongside it.

• Describing Pleasant Smells: To specify a good smell, you often pair it with adjectives like 好闻 (hǎowén), meaning “good to smell,” or 香 (xiāng), meaning “fragrant.”
  • e.g., 咖啡的气味 (kāfēi de qìwèi) - the smell of coffee
  • e.g., 一种好闻的气味 (yì zhǒng hǎowén de qìwèi) - a pleasant smell
• Describing Unpleasant Smells: For bad smells, you use adjectives like 难闻 (nánwén), meaning “difficult/unpleasant to smell,” or 臭 (chòu), meaning “stinky.”
  • e.g., 垃圾的气味 (lājī de qìwèi) - the smell of garbage
  • e.g., 一股难闻的气味 (yì gǔ nánwén de qìwèi) - a foul odor (Note the use of measure word 股 gǔ for smells)
• Neutral or Inquisitive Usage: When you first notice a smell and haven't yet judged it, or when asking a question.
  • e.g., 这是什么气味？ (Zhè shì shénme qìwèi?) - What is this smell?

• Example 1:
  • 我喜欢雨后泥土的气味。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xǐhuān yǔ hòu nítǔ de qìwèi.
  • English: I like the smell of the earth after it rains.
  • Analysis: A classic, simple example showing 气味 used to describe a specific, neutral-to-pleasant natural scent.
• Example 2:
  • 房间里有一股奇怪的气味，我们开窗吧。
  • Pinyin: Fángjiān lǐ yǒu yī gǔ qíguài de qìwèi, wǒmen kāi chuāng ba.
  • English: There's a strange odor in the room, let's open the window.
  • Analysis: This shows 气味 used with the adjective “strange” (奇怪) and the common measure word for smells, 股 (gǔ).
• Example 3:
  • 这种花的气味太香了，我有点儿受不了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng huā de qìwèi tài xiāng le, wǒ yǒudiǎnr shòu bu liǎo.
  • English: The scent of this flower is too strong (fragrant), I can't really stand it.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates that even a “good” smell can be overwhelming. The adjective is 香 (fragrant), but the context makes it clear it's too much.
• Example 4:
  • 刚出炉的面包散发着诱人的气味。
  • Pinyin: Gāng chū lú de miànbāo sànfāzhe yòurén de qìwèi.
  • English: The freshly baked bread is giving off a tempting aroma.
  • Analysis: Here, 气味 is described as “tempting” (诱人), a vivid adjective often used with food. 散发 (sànfā) means “to emit” or “give off.”
• Example 5:
  • 这双臭袜子气味难闻，快拿去洗了！
  • Pinyin: Zhè shuāng chòu wàzi qìwèi nánwén, kuài ná qù xǐ le!
  • English: These stinky socks smell awful, go wash them quickly!
  • Analysis: A direct and practical example of a bad smell. Note how `气味难闻` is a common collocation for “smells bad.”
• Example 6:
  • 虽然他们背景不同，但是他们气味相投，很快就成了好朋友。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán tāmen bèijǐng bùtóng, dànshì tāmen qìwèi xiāngtóu, hěn kuài jiù chéng le hǎo péngyǒu.
  • English: Although their backgrounds are different, they are kindred spirits and quickly became good friends.
  • Analysis: This is the key example of the term's figurative, idiomatic usage.
• Example 7:
  • 消防员闻到了一股烧焦的气味。
  • Pinyin: Xiāofángyuán wéndào le yī gǔ shāojiāo de qìwèi.
  • English: The firefighter smelled a burning odor.
  • Analysis: This shows 气味 used in a serious, descriptive context. 烧焦 (shāojiāo) means “scorched” or “burnt.”
• Example 8:
  • 不同的香水有不同的气味。
  • Pinyin: Bùtóng de xiāngshuǐ yǒu bùtóng de qìwèi.
  • English: Different perfumes have different scents.
  • Analysis: A straightforward sentence showing how 气味 can be used to mean “scent” in the context of products like perfume.
• Example 9:
  • 这种化学品的气味对人体有害。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng huàxuépǐn de qìwèi duì réntǐ yǒuhài.
  • English: The smell of this chemical is harmful to the human body.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates a formal, technical usage of the word.
• Example 10:
  • 我总觉得他的话里有阴谋的气味。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zǒng juéde tā de huà lǐ yǒu yīnmóu de qìwèi.
  • English: I always feel like there's a hint (lit: smell) of conspiracy in his words.
  • Analysis: A more advanced, figurative use, similar to the English “smell of trouble” or “scent of danger.”

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 气味 (qìwèi) and 味道 (wèidao).

• 气味 (qìwèi) - Smell (Nose Only): This word refers exclusively to what you perceive with your nose. It is never used to describe the taste of something in your mouth.
• 味道 (wèidao) - Taste, Flavor (Mostly Mouth, Sometimes Nose): This word primarily refers to what you perceive with your tongue—taste and flavor. However, especially when talking about food, 味道 can also encompass the food's aroma, as smell is a huge component of flavor.

Common Mistake: Using 气味 to describe how food tastes.

• Incorrect: 这个汤的气味很好！(Zhège tāng de qìwèi hěn hǎo!)
• Why it's wrong: This sentence literally means, “The smell of this soup is great!” While possible, if you have tasted the soup and want to compliment its flavor, this is the wrong word.
• Correct: 这个汤的味道很好！(Zhège tāng de wèidao hěn hǎo!) - “The flavor of this soup is great!”

Rule of Thumb: If it involves your nose, use 气味. If it involves your mouth, use 味道. If you're talking about food and the concept involves both taste and smell, 味道 is almost always the correct and more natural choice.

• 味道 (wèidao) - The most closely related term. Primarily means “taste” or “flavor,” but can sometimes refer to the smell of food.
• 香味 (xiāngwèi) - A pleasant smell, fragrance, or aroma. It's a more specific, positive version of 气味.
• 臭味 (chòuwèi) - A bad smell, a stink, a foul odor. The direct negative counterpart to 香味.
• 闻 (wén) - The verb “to smell.” You use your鼻子 (bízi, nose) to 闻 (wén) a 气味 (qìwèi).
• 气味相投 (qìwèi xiāngtóu) - An idiom meaning “to be kindred spirits” or “to hit it off.”
• 气息 (qìxī) - Often more abstract or literary. It can mean “scent,” “breath,” or “atmosphere” (e.g., 春天的气息 - chūntiān de qìxī, the breath/feeling of spring).
• 香水 (xiāngshuǐ) - Perfume. Literally “fragrant water.”
• 腥味 (xīngwèi) - The specific, often unpleasant, smell of raw fish or meat.